Hidden Fire (The FIRE series Book 1) Page 8

  “No, I'm tired and there will be more commissions after they see this creation. Oh, I have a message for you from one of my colleagues. Mady Clair's setting up to make the breast supports. Just breast supports, nothing else. She asked me to let you know; she takes commissions if you want something special.”

  “Tell her I said thanks, and good luck.” Lizzy smiled. Caro's contacts were always sending messages through her; Lizzy's custom was known to bring all the modern ladies to a business.

  “I will, now go and make my fortune with that outfit, would you.”

  “Yes Caro. And enjoy your quiet night in; don't strain your eyes.”

  Caro laughed and packed her work box away as the bright young things fluttered off to the ball. She had a good reason for not going, other than embarrassment; Robert was expecting her for dinner.

  Chapter 14

  “Deep breath, cuz, it's just the Court.” Lawrence reassured her as they were announced.

  “But they're all going to be looking at me.”

  “Well? That's hardly unusual, is it?”

  “It is. Normally they look at me, smile and ignore me. Tonight, I have to pretend I like being starred at.”

  “Yes, well, it happens to all of us at some point. We'd better get a move on, Father and Uncle are waiting.”

  Lizzy, her cousins on each arm, stepped out on to the red carpet to walk the length of the Hall to their fathers. They smiled and nodded politely and pretended to care. Their friends – identified by their bright clothes in a room of blacks and greys – waved and cheered, drowning the polite applause.

  Eventually - it felt like the longest walk in eternity – they arrived before the dais and bowed to the King. A band struck up as her father stepped down, took Lizzy's hand and lead her out to dance. The Duke and Duchess followed, Lady Mary and Sir Philip joined them. Young Elenor and Prince John – both only seven – joined them, determined to show off the results of their lessons. Alex and Lawrence shrugged and danced with each other, while their friend Beth asked Prince Michael to dance. The rest of the court joined them in the dance.

  Lizzy danced with an endless series of courtiers and ambassadors, some who said they'd come 'especially for her Ball' though she knew they were really there to make trade agreements and political alliances. Eventually she had to decline a dance, bowing to the under-secretary to the Belenosian ambassador who had asked her for a further dance, even though she'd just danced three with him and was getting 'looks' from her mother, Lizzy hurried away to find her friends.

  They weren't in the Hall, because that was filled with the be-corseted, grey gowned conservatives and their parents, the majority at court. The doors to the garden terrace were open though, the glass reflecting the flickering torches and fluttering crowd back into the ballroom. Beth's laugh became clearer as she got nearer; Lizzy grinned. Beth only laughed like that when she was drunk and flirting; her mother mustn't be around.

  “Evening all, shove up Harry, I need to sit down.”

  Lizzy burst into the conversation laughing.

  “Finally got sick of dancing with idiots then?”

  “Well, after I danced with you I managed to cope with their conversation quite well.”

  “You wound me, my dear friend, wound me grievously.” Henry grasped at his heart and pretended to faint.

  Lizzy elbowed him in the ribs, “Very mature. And this is why I am not marrying you. Ever.”

  “Glad to hear it, we’d kill each other eventually.”

  “So, any news?”

  “Mother is angry with me.” Beth volunteered with a satisfied smile.

  “What did you do?”

  “Refused to dress like a widow for your party.”

  “Good god, I wondered how you'd managed to get away with a new dress.”

  “I had Marie measure her up last time she came to visit.”

  “I like the colours. Why do people keep calling them dresses though? They're two separate garments.”

  “Our mothers would have screaming fits if they thought we were wearing two piece outfits. It took me long enough to convince mine that I really didn't need a corset.” Charley's mother was known for being more modern than most of the older women at court, but even she still wore a corset and coif on occasion. Charley found it very embarrassing.

  “I like your dress, is it new?” Tessa asked.

  “Caro finished it just before the Ball started. I'm losing beads already.” Lizzy lifted the hem of the green over dress to show her friends. The pale gold-green beads danced with firelight and the silk slid over her fingers.

  “It's not too bad. You should have it taken up a bit to keep the beading off the floor.”

  “And show more of my underskirt? What a shocking thought.” Lizzy gave Tessa a look of mock-horror.

  “I don't mind seeing more of your underwear Liz.” Gos laughed.

  “Well, you know, very few people get to see my underwear.”

  “We all have.”

  “Only when I'm drunk.”

  “You were quite sober last time.”

  “That's quite enough of that, thank you.” Lizzy blushed. She'd known sleeping with Gos was a bad idea when they'd fallen into bed together, but she'd been incredibly horny at the time. She just hoped he didn't think it meant anything; they were friends and friends alone.

  “Stop teasing Lizzy, Gos, it's her birthday.” Phil, Gos's younger brother, shoved him gently, “And now, my lady, what do you intend to do with your life?”

  “How should I know? I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow, let alone the rest of my life. I just hope it isn't as exhausting as the last few months have been. I can't quite face another abduction attempt yet.”

  “Well, if you're going to be boring...”

  “Very funny Phil. No, I think I want a quiet few months, just pottering around with the paper, being a fashion icon and learning this princess lark.”

  “Yeah, about that, did you know?”

  “What that dad was going to officially adopt me? No, no clue. Biggest shock of my life. Other than the time I realised just how tiny your cock is, Gos.”

  “Thanks.”

  “We don't need to know.” Beth flushed, with wine and embarrassment. She didn’t need to hear about Gos's cock.

  “No we don’t; Beth, will you stay at my house tonight? Your mother looked awfully grim earlier, she probably won't like it that you're drunk as well as immodestly dressed.” Charley asked.

  “That's what she said?”

  “Yeah, we're all dressed like whores and pimps apparently. How she would know about whores and pimps I don't know.”

  “She does charity work in the city with the Ladies Purity League.” Beth volunteered.

  “Oh lor' those old bats? They're practically crows, except the Curates don't let women in.”

  “Except nuns.”

  “Except nuns. How dull life must be for nuns.”

  “Drudgery and prayers, no fun times.”

  “Sad, very sad.”

  Tessa and Lizzy nodded at each other in agreement, then fell about laughing.

  Lady Mary interrupted the silliness half an hour later.

  “How much have you had to drink?”

  Lizzy looked at her glass as she mentally counted up, “Five or six glasses, not much at all. Compared to this lot I'm sober.”

  “I see. Beth Warren, your mother wants you, she says she's leaving now, so you'd better get along.”

  “She's staying at Charley's tonight, mother.”

  “Does the Countess know that? Or Lady Warren? You children can't go making plans without telling people.”

  “Mother, we're not children. Every single one of us is an adult. I think we're capable of making our own decisions.”

  Affronted, Lady Mary glared at her daughter, the daughter she'd seen little of since she'd sent her to the capital as a fifteen-year-old. She still saw the wilful girl who liked to climb trees.

  “I should go and speak to mother.” Beth muttere
d quietly.

  “I'll come with you, don't want her browbeating you again.” Charley stood up and followed Beth back into the ballroom and over to the tables around the edges of the hall where the matrons sat delicately drinking wine and gossiping about their social rivalries.

  Out on the terrace, the young people had fallen silent as Lizzy and her mother stared angrily at each other. Lizzy broke her gaze first, feeling guilty about winding her mother up; they hadn't seen each other in two years and it was probably a shock to see her little girl grown up, especially after her father's announcement.

  “Come on mother, sit down and have a drink with us. It's my birthday, I'm officially a grown up now, with access to funds.”

  “And responsibilities. Don't forget the responsibilities. I never do; you're lucky you're not the heir, I have to help run our estates and visit tenants and stuff. It's all very dull.” Henry laughed.

  “It's your duty to do those things. Oh, Lizzy, I haven't had a chance to tell you, Curate Albert sends his regards, and asks you not to cause too much trouble. He's only just settled down again after the inspection five years ago.”

  “That wasn't my fault. It was Colvile and the queen.”

  “And the High Curate.”

  “Yes.” Lizzy hissed, she still hadn't forgiven their much more recent abduction/murder attempt.

  “The new boy seems harmless enough though.”

  “Don't speak about High Curate Cosgard like that Philip Val, or I'll tell your mother to stop your allowance.”

  He smiled and looked at his brother, their mother couldn't stop his allowance now that she was the Dowager-Lady Val; Gos controlled the family fortune.

  “Well, I think I shall leave you young people and return to Sir Philip, he's discussing hounds with the king.”

  “Really? Why am I not surprised?”

  “Because they are both obsessive old men.”

  “That you love dearly.”

  “It is fortunate for them both that I do. Perhaps I should leave them to it and hunt down some old acquaintances?”

  “That could be fun. How long are you in King's Ford for?”

  “Another few days, I'll come and visit you? There must be a lot we need to catch up on?”

  “Of course mother, I shall probably be staying here for a few days at least.” Lady Mary gave the 'children' a tight smile before rising with an insane amount of grace to return to the ballroom.

  “Aren't you coming back to the Residency?” Alex asked when the group were alone again.

  “I don't know; I think father would prefer it if I lived here for a while.”

  “If you bought your own place it would be so much easier.” Henry laughed.

  “I don't want to just yet; I have a few other things I need to do before that.”

  “The school and refuge?”

  “Yes; I have no idea where to start.”

  Chapter 15

  Lizzy groaned, shifted the damp cloth slightly further over her eyes and sagged further into the settee cushions.

  “I am getting too old for drinking.”

  She reached out blindly, flailing for her water glass and the willow bark pastels. Her ring clinked against the glass, which toppled off the table edge and soaked the rug beneath. Lizzy shifted the cloth once more, rolled slightly on to her side, groaned, and flopped back on to the settee again. She'd have to ring for a servant. Which meant standing up. Lizzy considered just taking the willow bark dry but it tasted vile and her mouth was drier than a desert as it was. She sighed and prepared to stand up. It was a complicated manoeuvre requiring coordination of all her limbs. She couldn't quite manage that, so fell off the settee on to the wet rug and crawled across to the bell pull by her bed. Since she was there Lizzy decided to climb back on to her bed.

  She passed out for a few minutes but woke up when a servant arrived carrying a tray with water, more willow bark and a message. Lizzy hadn’t seen the servant before; she was tall, and appeared about ten years older than Lizzy.

  “Your Highness.” The young woman curtsied expertly, “You have a message from the Duke.” She handed the single sheet of folded paper to Lizzy while pouring out a glass of water and dispensing two pills from the box.

  Lizzy put the letter on the bed besides herself. “Thank you. I don't know your name.”

  “I'm your Lady-in-Waiting, Sarah Carnavan, my father is our ambassador to Calman.”

  “That explains the curtsey. Wait, I get a Lady-in-Waiting now?”

  “Yes Your Highness.”

  “This feels wrong.”

  “Why?”

  “You're a peer acting the servant?”

  “So? Aren't we all? You bow to the king and the duke. Everyone else bows to you. It doesn't make any difference. Princesses don't deal directly with servants, Your Highness.”

  “I think I preferred it when I wasn't.”

  “Well, you are, so buck up, you've got things to do today.”

  “Like what?” She'd planned to spend the day wallowing in agony.

  Sarah, pulled a small diary out of her pocket and flipped to the first page.

  “At midday you have lunch with the Sumoasti ambassador, at three you have a meeting with your father and the duke, I think that's what the letter's about, and this evening you are having dinner with your mother and Sir Philip.”

  “Do I have to?” Lizzy said, stunned

  “Yes. Tomorrow you have a breakfast meeting with the King's Council, at midday you're having lunch with the High Curate and at two you are meeting your estate manager and legal advisor, about your property portfolio.”

  “One house is not a property portfolio.”

  “There's the estate in the highlands and several city properties, I believe.”

  “How do you knew that when I don't?”

  “I've spent the last few days with Duke Michael getting up to speed with your legal and business matters. He thinks it's time someone other than him dealt with your finances.”

  “I can manage.”

  “Do you know anything about banking? Or rents? Or estates?”

  “No, do you?”

  “Of course, who do you think runs our family properties while my parents are off visiting the world?”

  “Good point.”

  “And I speak five languages, so you won't need a translator. Now, get up, you have to go to lunch in an hour.”

  “Urgh. I hate being a princess already.”

  “Yes, being wealthy beyond imagining and living in luxury must be such a burden.”

  “There's no need to be like that. I'm grateful for all that, I just meant I'm used to making my own schedule and not having to go to meals with ambassadors I can't stand.”

  “Well, that, I'm afraid, is called growing up. You're officially an adult member of society now, these burdens are placed on all of us. The One wouldn't give us more than we can handle.”

  Lizzy looked sideways at her Lady-in-Waiting, “You're not a conservative, are you? Because we might not get on.”

  “No, I was mostly brought up in Calman, they worship trade, above all else, so I never got the indoctrination. I saw you last night, looking at everyone with such contempt.”

  “It isn't contempt, it's confusion. Why on earth would people shackle themselves to beliefs that keep them in mental chains?”

  “Because they can't see the chains?”

  “Then we need to show them the chains. Is there any room in my schedule for property searching? I need to get moving on the school and refuge project.”

  “I've pencilled in the day after tomorrow, your uncle suggested meeting your manager and legal advisor first, that's why you have a meeting with them tomorrow.”

  Lizzy looked at Sarah, noticing the slight tension around her eyes, “Thank you, you've got me organised.”

  “Only because the Duke thought about all of this in advance. He's been making arrangements ever since we got you back from, ever since you were abducted.”

  “He could have
told me.”

  “You were busy.”

  Lizzy nodded, it had indeed been a busy few months.

  Finally convinced she needed to get up, Lizzy ordered a bath and found some clothes to wear. Sarah did not approve.

  “You can't wear your riding clothes for lunch with an ambassador, they'll think we're slighting them. Look this is much better.” She pulled out a white blouse with fine, almost transparent lace sleeves and a long pale blue skirt.

  Lizzy grimaced but nodded agreement; she could always change later.

  “Where do you keep your underskirts and such?”

  “Knickers and vests are in that draw. Stockings are in the one below it.”

  “No shift?”

  “No need, it's too hot.”

  “But an underskirt at least?”

  “Don't start. It's too hot for more than the absolute minimum. Now, I'm having my bath.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes and went to find the clothes. At least she'd be able to get dressed quickly; they'd be late if she was prone to wearing full skirts and corsetry.

  Chapter 16

  “That's it, no more official business this week, I'm going on strike.” Lizzy threw herself into a chair at Caro's house. Sarah rolled her eyes.

  “You're being over dramatic Lizzy; it can't be that bad. I've spent the last three days sewing clothes for your fan club, I've had to ask Maria and Mady Clar to help.”

  “I thought Mady was going into the vest business and Marie Clar only works for the Warrens.”

  “Beth Warren has asked for a whole new wardrobe, now she's living with the Countess and her daughter.”

  “I didn't know that, why hasn't anyone told me this?”

  “You've been busy. Now let me get you both some tea. No Sandra, sit down, and carry on with your lessons.” The girl had risen from her table at the window where she was practising her hand writing, “You know that's not your job anymore. If you really want to get into a Guild school, you need to be able to read and write.” Caro shook her head and rang the bell.

  “So, tell me.”

  “Gossip.”

  “I need to keep up with my friends somehow.”

  “Lady Warren made a fuss the day after your party about Beth associating with you all and said if she wouldn't come home and go to a convent or get married, she shouldn't come home at all.”